The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-04-27
FEATHERED FISHERMEN.

The Cute Heron, the Swift Penguin, the
Thoughtful Snake Bird and Pelican, and
the Kind Pufin Who Strings Her Fish on
Her Beak.
Perhaps you have heard how men
sometimes catch fish at night merely
by rowing over the water with a light
in the boat. The fish, attracted by the
light, jump into the boat.
It is said--I will not vouch for this
story, though tits likely enough-that
the heron catches fish by the same de.
vice. At night the feathers of its
breast emit a sort Of phosphorescent
glow, and the bird, as If aware of this
fact, takes up its stand on dark night,
up to its knees in the water, and waits,
with ready beak, for the deluded fish to
spring up at the light on it's breast.
When they do spring, it is into total
and perpetual darkness, for no cham
pion catcher is more certain than the
heron.
As rule, however, birds catch their
fish in fair chase, instead of by device,
and it is q marvel that they can do 50.
Some birds, like the osprey, for exam
pie, sail about in tho air until they
sight a fish near the surface, when they
swoop down and snatch their prey in
their claws. The king-fisher, on the
other hand, either sits on a limb over
the water, or hovers over it, until a
fish is spied, when it darts down head
foremost and catches the fish in its
beak.
But most birds fairly take to the wa
ter, and in some cases even lose the
power Of flying.
The penguin is an example Of this.
It not only can not fly, but it even has
not feathers to make it bird-like, though
in all other respects it is q
true bird. Few Fish have any
chance at all against the pen
gum, with its wedge-like body and
paddle-like wings and feet The swift
ness Of a birds course in the water is
almost incredible, though some idea Of
it may be gained from the statement
that the great auk-a now extinct bird
could swim under water as fast as
most birds fly; and all fishing birds
which capture b. chase must, Of course.
be swifter than the fish they catch.
Catching fish is not the whole Of q
birds duty, however. Like their
human types. the birds have their chill
dren to provide for, and it is interest
ing enough to observe how the differ
ent birds contrive to carry home the
captured fish.
The snake-bird, or darter, which
lives in our Southern lakes, has q, plan
which may do for little snake-birds, but
would not suit us. The name Of the
bird is taken from its extremely long
neck, which is usually the only part
Of its body seen above water
when it is swimming. Il is very easy
to mistake this neck for snake. When
the snake-bird has caught and swal-
LEVIED sufficient quantity Of fish, tire
turns home, and takes up q position
convenient to the nest. There it opens
its mouth, and little snake-bird liter
ally dives into it head foremost.
Its body, indeed, does not disappear,
though any person seeing the perform
ance for the first time would certainly
expect it to; but the entire head and
neck do, and remain so for . moment,
when after a slight wriggle, they begin
to come out, and it is seen that the lit
tie bird has brought up fish from tho
interior department of the old bird.
Each Of the little birds makes similar
dive down the old birds throat, and
probably it is only by the most lively
efforts at digestion that the parent
ever manages to get meal for itself.
With the pelican it is different. The
pelican, of one or another species, is .
very common bird in our Southern and
Western waters, and is q most indie
fatigable fisher. It carries q huge
pouch suspended from the outer rim Of
its great under bill. The body Of the
bird is very large, and it often has
twelve feet spread Of wings; but the
head is big. out Of all proportion 70
the size of the bird. Consequently, the
pouch is large beyond the imagination
of person who has not seen it This
pouch, nevertheless, the pelican fills,
and it carries home to its young the
fish it has caught.
The oldest way Of carrying fish.
however, is practiced by > beautiful
little bird called the Arctic putin.
This bird. which from its gorgeous col
oring and heavy beak, is some.
times called the parrot Of the sea.
| lives, as its name implies in the
Arctic regions. It is an odd little
creature, and is particularly noted 70,
its affection for the young Of its kind.
| 1t will adopt and rear any little ones
which have lost their parents. This Ii
all the more singular because parental
love and home-love usually 60 to
gether, and the putin thinks 80 little o
home that it not only does not build
nest, but even goes SO far As to tax,
possession Of the habitation Of another
animal. When it goes fishing tn
putin hangs Its prey on its under bill
by their gills, until the under bill il
hung full when it returns home. :.
Jonn R. Coryell, IN Golden RUE
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